What a Life is the debut extended play by South Korean hip hop duo Exo-SC, the second official sub-unit of the South Korean–Chinese boy group Exo. It was released on July 22, 2019 by SM Entertainment. The EP features six tracks, including three singles.[1][2]
Background and release
On June 5, 2019, it was revealed that Chanyeol and Sehun would be debuting as Exo's second sub-unit and were preparing to release an album in July.[3] On June 28, the EP's title and number of songs were revealed.[4] On July 9, an instrumental teaser of one of the singles was released by W Korea following the duo's photo shoot for the magazine.[5] On July 11, the album details were released on Exo's social media accounts.[6] On July 12, it was revealed that the EP will feature three singles,[7] and that it was produced by Dynamic Duo's Gaeko and Devine Channel.[8] On July 15, it was revealed that the duo participated in writing and producing the album, and that the message of the EP is for youth.[9] On July 17, three videos of the duo with Gaeko and Divine Channel were released where they talked about the making of the album.[10][11][12] On the same day, a teaser of the music videos for the three singles was released.[13] On July 20, a highlight medley video for the album was released,[14] On the same day, the music video for "Just us 2" was released prior to the album's release.[15] On July 22, the official music video for "What a Life" was released.[16] On July 25, a video of Sehun and Chanyeol shooting What a Life was released.[17] On July 26, the official music video for "Closer to You" was released.[18] On July 29, a jacket making video of the duo was released.[19]
Composition and production
"What a Life" is described as a hip hop track with a "unique" plucking sound and lyrics containing a message of both working and playing happily.[20]
"Just Us 2" is a hip hop song featuring piano instrumentation, soft synthesizers and a melodious chorus, with lyrics about vacationing in a hot summer spot. The track features rapper Gaeko and was composed by the South Korean artist Gray. The lyrics of the song were written by Boi B, Chanyeol and Sehun.[21]
"Closer to You" is a hip hop R&B song with romantic sensibility. It features an emotional melody and a "highly addictive" chorus, with lyrics expressing the desire to be closer to a person. Chanyeol and Sehun participated in writing the lyrics with hip hop group Rhythm Power member Hangzoo.[22]
Promotion
Exo-SC performed "What a Life" and "Closer to You" for the first time on Exo's 5th concert Exo Planet 5 – Exploration on July 19, and will continue to do so for all the concerts in the tour.[23]
Exo-SC held a press showcase event on July 22 at MUV Hall in Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul.[24][25] On the same day, they held a showcase for the fans with Gaeko where they talked about the album, the process of making it and performed "What a Life", "Just Us 2" and "Closer to You".[26]
On July 25, Exo-SC held a live stream show on the Chinese website Sina Weibo, where they recorded 2.11M concurrent viewers, becoming the first Korean artists to do so.[27]
^Yoo Jung-na (January 5, 2020). "[2020 골든디스크]방탄소년단, 음원+음반 대상 동시 석권…"공정한 2020년 기대"(종합)" [[2020 Golden Disc] Bulletproof Boy Scouts to Dominate Music + Music Records "Fair 2020 expectations" (general)]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Retrieved January 5, 2020.
